Nobody deserved to win here. Like no one is deserving of being NHk winner this year. Ladies skating has reached such a low level it is pathetic and ridiculous for there to be winners based on what bein a winner previously meant. Everyone is throwing triple jumps right out of the sport. It is so ridiculous and wins should not be happening. Just no winners. Not until the participants respect what they are doing again. There is no respect or effort from the participants. It is ridiculous and the while sport idea is a laughable joke and jumps don't matter anymore to the ladies and all wins need to be voided this season.

You have to spare Ashley's win at SA and Paris. Those were legit in my book.

Let me guess: the people complaining about Mao only having four triples/two types of triples yearn for the days of the great 6.0 jumpers? You know, the ones who could UR and flutz with impunity?

Mao skated well, the URs weren't over the top (or she'd have gotten <<) and she is a deserving winner. Not every event can be the best ever, or even close to it.

Not 6.0 - just a few years ago. You can see a lot of protocols even from before 2010 with much better skates winning events with better jumps. Jumps are so atrocious now. Mao did not skate well at all. The fact that she won does not mean she was good just judged better than the rest. She was atrocious.

Not 6.0 - just a few years ago. You can see a lot of protocols even from before 2010 with much better skates winning events with better jumps. Jumps are so atrocious now. Mao did not skate well at all. The fact that she won does not mean she was good just judged better than the rest. She was atrocious.

You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.

Congrats to Mao for the win and for attempting the lutz
I feel sorry for Ashley though. It seemed that this was her moment to carry on the impressive performances she did in the gps. That fall on the double axel looked bad. I hope she's alright.

After looking at protocols I guess there was one drunk judge. Mao received 6.75 for transitions, 7.50 for both skating skills and interpretation from one judge, Ashley 6.50 for transitions. Someone thought Ashley deserved to get only -1 GOE for her 3L + 2A>> + SEQ even though it's obligatory to give -3 when a skater falls. Someone gave -3 for Christina's 3F+3T>. Seriously? I know all of it does not count, since the worst and the best mark is not considered but I just don't get it.
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It DOES matter, because these max/min values prevent the next highest/lowest values from being excluded. That's exactly why they give these outlying marks.

Mao did not skate well at all? I don't know if I should laugh or cry having read that statement.

Hmm, she landed 6 triples (two of them being underrotated) and two double axel. That is not too shabby. She had absolutely faboulous footwork which merited level for and more 3's than 2's for GOE. Sha had good, very difficult spins, all level 4, not the fastest but with beautiful and difficult positions. Her choeographed sequence highlighted the music fantastically and went very well with the theme of the program.

Now, let's move on to PCS.

Not the fastest but wonderful knee bent and superior flow over the ice, good ice coverage.

Program packed with transitions between the jumps and in other places. Transitions working as choreographic moments highlighting the theme of the music: slow part with spread eagles and arms momvements, quick "balletic" turns just before the end of the program, a lot of short spirals throughout the program etc.

Besides doubled salchow no visible mistakes, the whole program flowing from one element to another, wonderful posture and lines, straight back, arms movements, everything matching the theme of powerful and balletic at the same time Swan Lake. From the beginning to the end the program is building momentum which finally explodes with Step Sequence and Choreographed Sequence

Beautiful and fresh choreography for such an overused pece of music. Thanks to shortening time earmarked for spinning to the minimum (especially in the camel spin) there is more time for slow parts highlighting the music and the powerful finish. In terms of composition one of the few programs that does not end with (F)CCoSp.

If this performance was not a good interpretation of SWAN LAKE then we must have been watching different performances. Mao is perfect to this theme owing to her balletic and graceful movement and posture and yet she didn't lose the power in the whole balletic thing. I though she was a wonderful swan there on the ice and actually the second best interpretation of Swan Lake I have seen right after Sasha Cohen.